Microsoft recently announced that the next major update for Windows 10, which is due around March or April this year, will add support for a new program that will allow users to see what telemetry data is being shared with the company. The program, called Windows Diagnostic Data Viewer, will be available from the Microsoft Store and will provide users complete access to all the diagnostic data shared with Microsoft from their device.
The new program will also be available for Windows Insiders starting this week and will showcase an overview of data being sent to Microsoft’s servers. Microsoft collects a lot of anonymous data from Windows 10 users in order to improve the operating system and make product decisions. This has previously raised privacy concerns, following which Microsoft released a publication last year detailing the data collected by Windows 10. The new program seeks to put all privacy concerns to rest as all users will soon be able to analyze the data being shared with Microsoft.
Microsoft has also listed down the kind of data you might see in the Windows Diagnostic Data Viewer. The diagnostic data includes:
- Common Data, like the Operating System’s name, the Version, Device ID, Device Class, Diagnostic level selection and so on.
- Device Connectivity and Configuration such as device properties and capabilities, preferences and settings, peripherals, and device network information.
- Product and Service Performance data that show device health, performance and reliability data, movie consumption functionality on the device and device file queries. It’s important to note that this functionality is not intended to capture user viewing or, listening habits.
- Product and Service Usage data includes details about the usage of the device, operating system, applications, and services.
- Software Setup and Inventory such as installed applications and install history, device update information.
Additionally, in the coming months Microsoft will add more features which will allow users to:
- View and manage media consumption data, as well as product and service activity on the Activity History page
- Export for any of the data you see on the dashboard
- Delete specific items to allow for greater individual control
